Mayor proclaims Sept. 19 as Johnson County Christmas Bureau anniversary; bureau seeks volunteers and client sign-ups

Mayor Kurt Skoog read a proclamation on Sept. 15 declaring Sept. 19, 2025, as the Johnson County Christmas Bureau’s 65th anniversary celebration in Overland Park.

The proclamation noted the Johnson County Christmas Bureau (JCCB) was established in 1960 by the Shawnee Mission chapter of the American Association of University Women and that the countywide nonprofit provides holiday assistance to clients ranging from newborns to nursing-home residents. "I, Kurt Skoog, mayor of the city of Overland Park, Kansas, do hereby proclaim Sept. 19, 2025 as Johnson County Christmas Bureau 65th anniversary celebration in Overland Park," the proclamation states.

Nina Kimbrough, executive director of the Johnson County Christmas Bureau, told the council the bureau serves about 3,200 people in Overland Park during its holiday shop and served more than 13,000 people across Johnson County last year. Kimbrough said the bureau operates with one full-time employee, a part-time administrative assistant and volunteers who run the nine-day holiday shop.

"It takes us more than 3,000 volunteers over the nine days that our shop is open," Kimbrough said, and she called on council members and community groups to help recruit volunteers. She said client sign-ups open Oct. 1.

Deb McPheeter, a board member who attended with Kimbrough, described the agency’s client-choice model and encouraged council support for volunteer recruitment and spreading word of the sign-up date. "We give with dignity," McPheeter said, describing the model that lets families select items during the shop.

Ending: The proclamation recognizes the organization’s 65-year history and the bureau asked the community for volunteers, donations and assistance spreading awareness before its Oct. 1 client sign-up date.